Dan Dare

There's a nice looking Markbass Nano in the Market Place that has a front switch and 210w. Don't know the seller so not trying to flog it for him. Looks as if it would be suitable.

It's far from easy to explain. This is an extremely complex subject and, as is the case with so many complex subjects, many have opinions about it that are founded not on fact but on their own suppositions. They will also tend to dismiss what others say as "nonsense", or worse, with no evidence to support the assertion. I did point out above that one should apply sensible limits to materials choice (balsa, to quote an extreme example, would obviously not be a good option, because of its lack of structural strength or rigidity). See itu's post above, in which he makes the (true) observation that two pieces of the same species of timber can behave very differently. As others point out, the variations between various hardwoods, or other materials such as Masonite, resins and so on for building bodies for solid electric instruments are minimal and tonally insignificant. If you have scientific evidence to the contrary, I'd love to see/hear it. Methods/quality of construction and electronics are the things that make real difference.

A lot of the custom/exotic stuff is aimed primarily at wealthy weekend warriors - architects, lawyers, et al - who play in bands in their spare time. Nowt wrong with that. I'd far rather the companies concerned were making instruments than a lot of other dubious stuff. However, they won't necessarily be better, viewed purely as functional tools, than a decent Squier, Cort or similar. They just look a lot nicer and give greater pride of ownership. I played in a band with a group of professional types once. Nice guys, not bad players and being given an occasional lift to gigs in a Rolls was fun.

Ah, but you get to play with all the new stuff courtesy of the day job.

I'd wager his partner is picking up the slack.

Construction, yes. Material (within sensible limits), no. How does a string vibrate on, say, a mahogany as opposed to an alder body? What are the differences? Can you demonstrate them? As you say, no need to argue more.

This. Applies to amps, cabs, etc, too.

Given that a magnetic pickup is not a microphone, how can that possibly be the case? The "sound" of the instrument unplugged (unless you play it into a microphone) has nothing to do with how well it will work when plugged into an amp. Try singing or shouting at the pickup on your instrument. Unless the pickup has gone microphonic with age, you won't hear anything, because it doesn't work by sensing vibrations in the air. It's actually the case that the better an instrument is acoustically, the worse it can be when fitted with a pickup and plugged in. My acoustic guitar - a 1975 Brazilian rosewood Martin D35 - is an absolute grand piano when played acoustically. Fabulous guitar. I have a Martin thinline bridge pickup fitted to it. However, when I plug it in (via a high quality preamp), it can be a nightmare. There are so many overtones and harmonic richness/complexity that you need to control or eq out that you'd be better off using a Takamine or similar electro acoustic (that isn't a patch on the Martin acoustically). Horses for courses.

I agree with John. When you look at the probable cost of repair if it fails to do a sufficient job and the amp overheats, it makes sense to go for something decent.

In my experience, a new project/band is far more likely to inspire than a new instrument. A bit difficult to achieve at present, but hopefully, things are easing in that regard.

"Tonewood" alert... There is a school of thought that says wood species doesn't matter when it comes to solid instruments. I tend to think it's correct. A pickup is not a microphone - it doesn't "hear" the strings vibrating, but senses that vibration in a magnetic field and converts it to electrical energy. So the important qualities are rigidity, weight and appearance. Any half decent piece of timber will do the job. As you plan to paint it, appearance is also irrelevant, although how well it takes finish is a consideration ("oilier" woods are more difficult in this regard). Construction - how well everything fits together, etc, quality of pickup and fittings - matters far more than materials. You could even use mdf, as do Danelectro. Have fun.

I've found that MB doesn't necessarily sound the best close up, but out in the room, it sits really well in the mix. I've heard several players using MB amps and have always been impressed. The sound just seems to fill the space properly. Some of the amps that sound good in the showroom can fall a bit flat in a live context, when the tonal subtleties you liked in the shop are drowned by a full band.

As an old git/OAP, I'm often astonished by the quality of "budget" instruments, when I compare them with what was around when I was starting out in the 1960s/70s. Modern CNC machinery means consistently accurate manufacture and it's rare to come across a real dog nowadays. The main question when buying is "Do I like it?", rather than "Is it good enough?" A decent set-up is usually all you need.

Good man. A Roqsolid cover will help disguise it.

Did you buy the BF Compact in the Market Place? I notice it's sold. If so, thank you. I kept looking at it and could feel myself weakening, despite the fact that I REALLY don't need any more gear.

Yet another reason to buy used.

What also puts me off so-called signature models is that they are the same as standard models, but with an inflated price tag and a few badges, etc.

Defo an ash body

Brightness has more to do with string and amp/cab choice than pickups, I find. High output pickups are not necessarily the way to go, in my experience. They can easily drive an amp into sounding dirty, but combine that with a tweetered cab and the result can be harsh, rather than bright and clear.

I've really tried to like Rotosounds. I'd love to support a home grown manufacturer (they started out about a mile from where I grew up in North Kent/South East London), but I don't like the tension or the way they feel under the fingers. A shame.

They're more than the budget, but the Beyer DT770 is a seriously nice pair of headphones and, with an extended low freq response, ideal for bass. Well worth it if you can save up the extra pennies - you can get them for a little over £100. Closed back, too, so great in noisy environments and for not disturbing others when you listen on the bus or train.

Peavey 4x10s are decent and often cheap as chips used, as long as you don't mind the weight.

There's one in the Market Place at the moment. £300 - not a lot for such a good cab. If I was looking for a 15, I'd have it.

Worth getting one of those disco tweeter boxes?